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Recently my friend Linda asked if I would make dinner for her parents, Al and Rita, once a week. It’s just a way to help them out and make life easier for them. What Linda asked for was simple meals – meatloaf and mashed potatoes, roasted chicken and vegetables, quiche. Today I decided to make Manicotti and had prepared homemade crepes to use as the shells and made a filling with fresh ricotta, Asiago, mozzarella, and spinach. To complement the pasta dish, I made a Caesar Salad.

Once dinner was prepared, I thought about the possibility of dessert. Usually that is not part of the deal, but today it occurred to me to make a pie for them. Though I have never met Al and Rita, I have known their daughter for more than 25 years and their granddaughter, Ariana, used to babysit Alexandra for me. It just seemed like I was making a pie for some long-lost relatives and when Linda saw that I had made Manicotti and a pie for her parents, she knew they would be pleased.

An hour or two later, my phone rang and it was Linda. She said that her parents were thrilled that I had made a vegetarian entrée for dinner because today was the first day of Lent. Then Linda showed them the pie and they said, “But we have decided to give up sweets for Lent.” Linda considered this and then said, “Well, then I should take this pie back to Karen so that she can give it to someone who will eat it.” Her parents were silent a moment and then asked if maybe they could begin their fast tomorrow and extend it one day past Easter (to complete the full 40 days). Linda said she thought that was a reasonable offer and once they all agreed, they each had a slice of pie. As she was finishing her piece of pie, almost as an afterthought, Rita said, “I think God will forgive us for this” and I think he will too.

Seize the moment. Remember all those women on the Titanic who waved off the dessert cart. ~Erma Bombeck

Two years ago, at about this time, we arrived in Barra de Navidad during what seemed like a stormy season. The sky was filled with clouds and rain fell for the first couple of days. On one of those nights, Marie invited us to the Hotel Sands to celebrate her friend Linda’s birthday.

Tonight we were once again invited to celebrate Linda’s birthday but this time the celebration was being held at Lucy’s restaurant. The event was a pot luck and so it was only fitting that I bring a pie as my contribution to the meal.

To help me put the finishing touches on the pie, I brought Marie’s grandsons, Ke’ale and Pueo, to my apartment. They waited patiently as I whipped the cream and coated the banana slices for the top of the pie. When it was finally done, I asked them to pose with the pie. This is what that looked like:

Tonight’s Chocolate Banana Cream Pie recognizes friends who are like family and the tender threads that hold us all together. And to Linda, Feliz Cumpleanos!